RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – It’s almost July, so you know what that means Virginia: new state laws to learn.
Most of the bills the Virginia General Assembly passes during its annual legislative session that the governor signs take effect July 1 of that year.
The 2024 session was primarily defined by the division of power between Democrats in control of the General Assembly and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin – and how that split led to the end of their top proposals such as raising the minimum wage, weed sales and an arena deal.
Come this July, however, there will still be several significant new Virginia laws for people to know. Some were even fueled by discussions over cake pops, cats, honeybees and roadkill.
Here’s a rundown of some of Virginia’s new laws taking effect in July:
Making ‘auto sears’ illegal
While Gov. Youngkin expectedly vetoed most of the gun control bills Democrats had on their wish list, he did sign some that got bipartisan support.
One will ban devices known as “auto sears” that convert firearms to automatically shoot more than one shot without manual reloading starting July 1.
‘Lucia’s Law’: Gun law change after Henrico teen’s murder
Another new gun law will make it a felony for gun owners to allow a child who poses a potential risk to have access to a firearm.
The bill was spurred by the 2021 killing of Lucia Bremer, a 13-year-old who another teen fatally shot while she was walking home in Henrico County.
Legacy admissions ban
Virginia’s public universities can’t give preferential treatment to applicants with family ties to alumni or donors starting on July 1.
The legislation from Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax) and state Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico) will stop public universities and colleges from giving applicants who are related to alumni or donors of the school a boost in their admissions process.
When the legislation was signed, Virginia was the second state to ban legacy admissions, a list that has since grown. Read more here.
Speed limit changes
Starting in July, localities will have expanded powers to reduce the speed limits in a business or residential district to as low as 15 miles per hour. It also allows local governing bodies to reduce the speed limits to 15 mph on roadways within the state highway system.
Localities need to have lawfully placed signs indicating the reduced speed limit and notify the Commissioner of Highways of any changes.
Making 18 the minimum marriage age
On July 1, the minimum age for marriage in Virginia will be 18 with no exceptions for minors who a court order has emancipated. The bill had an easier time getting through the Virginia Senate than the House of Delegates.
Independent prison oversight
After failing for years, Virginia lawmakers and advocates pushing for more transparency in the state’s prison system got a bill signed into law creating an independent oversight office.
The legislation, proposed in identical bills from Democrats, sets up a prison ombudsman office with the authority to subpoena the Virginia Department of Corrections for records that will share information with incarcerated people and others about their rights, inspect state facilities and more.
The final version of the legislation that lawmakers agreed to unanimously also creates a 15-member Corrections Oversight Committee, with 13 voting members and two nonvoting members, to look over the activities of the ombudsman and corrections department.
Last year’s budget set aside money for the ombudsman office and committee, but advocates said the new law will lay out what they will and are authorized to do.
The law inspired by cake pops
A Richmond-area small seller of homemade cake pops was told by the state she couldn’t sell her products at a local craft show or promote them online – leading Virginia lawmakers and Youngkin to get behind an effort to loosen restrictions on people who sell homemade food.
On July 1, people who sell certain food products made in a home can promote and offer them online and sell them at an event that operates for “no more than 14 consecutive days.” Before, they were limited to selling in a home or a farmers market.
Banning cat declawing
Veterinarians will not be allowed to declaw cats in Virginia starting July 1 unless there are certain “therapeutic” reasons to do so.
Gov. Youngkin signed a bill from Del. Marty Martinez (D-Loudoun) that prohibits declawing procedures on cats by veterinarians. The pending law has exceptions that include:
- To address an existing or recurring infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition in an animal’s claw, nail bed or toe bone that jeopardizes the animal’s health, and for which addressing the infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition is a medical necessity, as documented by a licensed veterinarian.
- To protect the owner’s life or health, as documented by a licensed physician, when such owner has been diagnosed with an infection, disease, disorder or similar condition that could reasonably be expected to worsen if such owner were to be scratched by a cat.
Casino votes in Richmond and Petersburg
The city of Petersburg is allowed to hold a vote in November for a casino proposal – and Richmond can’t anymore – after multiple bills were passed and signed.
Gov. Youngkin signed bills to remove Richmond from the list of Virginia’s eligible host cities for a casino in Virginia proposed by two Democrats representing parts of the city.
The governor also signed a bill — and recommended a change to it that lawmakers approved — to make way for Petersburg’s casino vote later this year.
Making co*cktails to-go permanent
Lawmakers passed bills repealing the July 2024 sunset on pandemic-era rules allowing restaurants to sell to-go co*cktails permanently.
The law allows distillers appointed as agents of Virginia ABC, mixed beverage restaurant licensees, and limited mixed beverage restaurant licensees to sell mixed beverages to go. It also allows farm winery licensees to sell pre-mixed wine for off-premises consumption.
Roadkill ownership
A bill to change who can claim a deer, bear, turkey or elk that appears to have been killed in a motor vehicle collision sailed out of the Virginia General Assembly and was signed by Youngkin.
The legislation from Del. Tony Wilt (R-Harrisonburg), referred to as the roadkill bill, will allow any person to claim such an animal for eating or as a trophy at any time of the year starting on July 1.
The proposal will change the current law allowing only those who hit the animal with their vehicle from being able to claim the dead animal during hunting season. Read more here.
Alcohol on private campground
A law taking effect in July will remove the ban on drinking or offering an alcoholic beverage in public when on a campground on private property “at which a majority of the campers use travel or tent trailers, pickup campers, or motor homes or similar recreational vehicles.”
The European honey bee: Virginia’s official state pollinator
The legislature passed a bill this year officially designating the European honey bee as Virginia’s state pollinator.
The European honey bee (Apis mellifera) – also called the western honey bee – joins the list of official emblems and designations in state code on July 1.
This story will be updated.
